Trump arrives in France to commemorate Bastille Day

Paris, July 13 (IANS) US President Donald Trump arrived here on Thursday for a two-day visit to take part in the July 14 French national day celebrations.

Trump arrived at Orly airport south of Paris early morning. From there, he was due to take meetings at the American Ambassador’s residence before being greeted in a formal welcoming ceremony by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, CNN reported.

Later, the US leader will tour Napoleon’s tomb at the Les Invalides before sitting down for extended security talks with Macron at the Élysée Palace.

The pair will then take questions from reporters in the evening, and dine with their wives in a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second landing of the Eiffel Tower.

On Friday, Trump will be the guest of honour at a military parade marking Bastille Day that commemorates the start of the French Revolution.

American troops will march alongside French personnel down the Champs-Élysées. The march will give Trump a view of France’s military hardware and point to the long history of cooperation between the two countries, the report said.

The White House said American troops would participate this year.

Trump’s stop in Paris is designed to mark the 100th anniversary of the US entry into World War I, and the security theme will carry over in talks between the leaders, which the White House said would centre on Syria and counterterrorism efforts.

Officials said that Macron hopes to demonstrate to Trump the willingness of France to play a broader role in global security affairs.

While last week’s G20 Summit in Germany was marked by widespread violent protests, the French were not expected to stage large scale demonstrations during Trump’s visit here.